Dist. 1, Part 2, Art. 1, Q. 3
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/4/d/1/q/bon-sent-IV-d1-p2-a1-q3
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### Question III. *Whether in adults the power of sacrifice was required as a remedy for original sin.*

Thirdly it is asked, whether in adults the power of sacrifice was required as a remedy for original sin. And that it was, seems [to follow]:

1. Through Gregory in the text, who says that for the elders not only faith but the power of sacrifice was necessary: therefore, since Gregory speaks precisely, he determines what is necessary. If you say that he speaks without precision, so as to touch upon what is fitting; then there would be no difference, because it was likewise fitting for sacrifice to be offered for children.

2. Likewise, an adult could do more than a child, and had a greater debt of sin: therefore he was also bound to do more than a child.

**On the contrary:**
1. In the time of the law of nature there was no precept except a natural one; but the Sacraments are not natural, as was shown above: therefore none of them was there under a precept, none therefore was of necessity: therefore salvation could be had by an adult without sacrifice.

2. Likewise, Hugh in *On the Sacraments* says that the remedy against original sin was *tithing*; Gregory says that it was *sacrifice*. But on the contrary: of a disease of one kind there ought to be one kind of remedy.

3. Likewise, the disease of original sin is not repeated: therefore it ought to have a remedy that is not repeatable; but both sacrifice and tithing are repeatable: therefore they are not fitting remedies against original sin.

**Likewise**, what was this power of sacrifice? And it seems to be of no usefulness, because such an oblation was not a *precept*, [for if it were a precept it would be] *good*, because then it would always be a *precept*: therefore it was *good* because a *precept*; but it was not a *precept*: therefore it was not *good*. — *If you say* that it avails for faith, which was instructed by that sign; on the contrary: there an oblation and a material smoke took place: therefore if one believed the smoke to be acceptable to God, he believed that God smelled materially: therefore he believed Him to be corporeal: therefore it seems that it was rather to the harm of faith. — *If you say* that it availed for the rousing of devotion; on the contrary: every devotion that is contrary to a work of piety cannot be acceptable: hence the Most High does not approve the gifts of the wicked; but this was contrary to piety, because it consumed in vain what was useful to the poor: therefore etc.

> **Conclusion.** The sacrifices of the law of nature had of themselves no efficacy of healing or justifying, but only by reason of faith in the Redeemer.

**I respond:** For the understanding of these matters it must be noted beforehand that, as master Hugh says, "in the law of nature there were three kinds of Sacraments, namely tithings, oblations, and sacrifices." For the knowledge of these, three things are to be noted: first, what is the reason for instituting those Sacraments; second, what is the manner; third, what is the efficacy.

The first reason is *the honoring of God*. — It must therefore be noted that faith ran among the just in every age, and no one was saved except in faith. In the time of the law of nature, then, this faith existed, which enlightened the faithful to this, that they should believe that God was creator, that He was redeemer, that He was rewarder. Therefore faith enlightened, and the dictate of nature was in accord, that man should serve God, and should acknowledge his goods from Him, and should also in some way make manifest by a visible sign that which he believed. Therefore there were signs in the time of the law of nature, in which God was honored as creator, who had created all things, as in the *oblation*; likewise He was honored as redeemer, as for instance in the *sacrifice*; as the perfect rewarder, in the *tithing*. — For the denary is the most perfect number, because it has three perfections in itself: the first is that of unity, the second that of the ternary, the third that of the senary, which joined together make the denary; and therefore there is a halting-point there. On account of this God was honored as the perfect rewarder. For unity is perfect, because it is the perfection of every number;

the ternary, because it consists of all its parts, both an aliquot part and a non-aliquot part; but the senary, because it consists of all its aliquot parts.

The second reason is *the profession of faith in the Redeemer*. For as no one can please God without faith, so no one can rise from sin without faith in the Mediator; and as faith simply dictated the honoring of God, so also this profession. And because man professes when he makes manifest outwardly what he believes inwardly; therefore in the time of the law of nature there were signs for the manifesting of this and also for the manifesting of the Redeemer. Now in the redemption three things are considered: that which is redeemed — and this by *tithing*, for man is signified by the lost tenth drachma — the manner itself of redeeming, and this by *oblation*; the price itself, and this by *sacrifice*, in which there was a shedding of blood. And this profession in signs of this kind was most necessary for the imperfect themselves; for to the perfect God revealed the Sacraments of faith, from the imperfect He concealed them. Hence the lesser clung to the faith of the greater and believed implicitly; and as they believed implicitly, so signs were given to them by the greater, in which they might implicitly profess the faith.

The third reason is *the instruction of the life to be led*. For as someone could not please God without faith nor rise from sin without faith in the Redeemer, so neither could he stand in the good without good work; and therefore there were added to faith signs that would signify the things that are necessary together with faith. Now these are six, of which three are in the heart and three outward; which are signified by these: in *tithing*, the recognition of sin and its dismissal; for in it there is given to God what is perfect and good, and there remains to us what is imperfect; whence it is signified that goods alone are from God, but evils from us: again, in the separation of the tenth part into God's portion is signified withdrawal from sin. — In *sacrifice* is signified inward contrition — *for a sacrifice to God is a troubled spirit* — and the outward mortification of the flesh, because the beast was slain; whence our members are to be mortified, in Romans twelve: *Present your bodies as a sacrifice* etc. — In *oblation*, the devotion of the mind and outward good work, which, if they are present together with faith, suffice for salvation. — Thus, therefore, it is plain what is the reason for the institution of those things, namely the honoring of God, the profession of faith in the Redeemer, the instruction of the life to be led.

Second, the manner of instituting is to be attended to; for they were not instituted by way of precept, as Hugh says: "First He nourished the little ones by counsel," speaking for those who lived in the time of the law of nature. And if you ask: how? it must be said that faith dictated, as has been seen, and nature was in accord, and inspiration gave authority; and therefore they were given by way of counsel, and this through the superiors, in whom faith was explicit.

Third, the efficacy in these matters is to be attended to. And it must be noted that of themselves they had no efficacy of healing or justifying, but only by reason of faith in the Redeemer; for they were not instituted for this, but for the things that have been said. From these the objections are made plain. —

1. For as to what it objects in the first place, that they are not of necessity, it must be conceded.

2. To that which is objected concerning Hugh, that the remedy was tithing; it must be said that neither tithing nor sacrifice was of itself a remedy, but only by reason of faith; and because all those three were signs of the redemption, therefore faith with any one of them could indeterminately cleanse.

3. From this also is made plain the other point concerning repetition, since they could be repeated for this reason, that they were not medicines imposed of themselves against a non-repeatable disease.

As to that which is asked concerning the power of sacrifice, it must be said that the power of sacrifice is called here either faith, which made the sacrifice avail, or the inward contrition of the mind, which made the outward sacrifice virtuous; and because for adults contrition was necessary on account of the actual [sin], therefore Gregory says that sacrifice healed the elders.

As to what is objected, that sacrifice was a way of error; it must be said that this is true of those who took it as a thing, but not of those who took it as a sign; and because the faithful took it as a sign, therefore for them it was not a way of error.

To that which is objected, that it was contrary to piety; it must be said that this is not true, because animals so abounded, and the poor were so few, that they sufficed for piety both as to the worship of God and as to the sustenance of the neighbor.

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